Kiss you in four places
- Share
(UPDATE: Flop Eared Mule offers some thoughts on the topic.)
I’ve noticed a lot of men like the Hunters and Collectors song, ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me‘, and I’ve never been able to figure out why. Not that it isn’t a great song, but it definitely seems to touch something in otherwise reticent males that gets them, well, a little teary eyed. Anyone ever in the audience when the Dougs performed the track — which they did often — will know what I mean. The Dougs themselves treated it as if it was some sort of sacred text.
It’s a boy song in the same way that Beaches is a chick flick.
But why?
Okay, the melody is great, very engaging; easy to convince yourself that you can sing along with it. Fine. But the emotional impact I presume comes from the lyrics and I must admit I find them a bit stupid. I mean, technically, they are weirdly abstract (though I guess ‘four places’ is very specific) and as far as I can tell, there is no underlying intent beyond ye old basic love song material.
I will come for you at nighttime
I will raise you from your sleep
I will kiss you in four places
As I go running along your street
Seriously, does anybody not laugh at that “kiss you in four places” line? Especially as the alleged kissing is meant to take place while running along a street? The next bit isn’t much better.
I will squeeze the life out of you
You will make me laugh and make me cry
And we will never forget it
You will make me call your name
And I’ll shout it to the blue summer sky
This sounds more like a stalker’s fantasy than an actual love song, more in the vein of ‘I’ll be Watching You’ than ‘Love Me Tender’ or ‘Unchained Melody’. And this:
I dreamed of you at nighttime
And I watched you in your sleep
I met you in high places
I touched your head and touched your feet
Okay, so it’s a bit easy to take the piss out of the lyrics of a pop song. We all know that that isn’t the point. The literal meaning isn’t the point. The emotional effect of songs is often something to do with the intangible way the words — the sung words — combine with the music to create a mood or effect and attempts to dissect it and figure out why miss the point and destroy the process.
I accept all that, but still: I will squeeze the life out of you? Kiss you in four place/As I go running along the street? Really? Why does this evoke a such favourable from the men in the audience?
Come on guys: what’s the attraction? Why does this particular song touch a soft spot (or four soft spots) with so many Australian men?
Please login below to comment, OR simply register here :
Thank you for registering, we have just sent you a confirmation email, which includes your new password to be entered below.
1). It’s very easy to slur along to.
2). It’s not so much about ‘I feel…’ as ‘I do…’ – more appealing, more understandable to the male psyche.
There endeth Dr Mikey’s psychoanalysis.
It works because it positions the singer as explaining actions that will take place in the future – it’s a commitment to future actions as a declaration of love if you will.
That being said, it does come under the umbrella of slightly creepy stalker type songs – you could throw REM’s “The One I Love” into the mix here as well (A simple prop, to occupy my time)… But they are always the best..
-JD
Tim,
It’s a song about (a) one night stand(s) – of course us blokes are going to love it
More seriously though, I always looked at the lyrics as more of a ‘promise’ to get the one night stand rather than a reflection of the event afterwards (Of course the last lot of quoted lyrics don’t much sense in this context but, as you say, when exactly did song lyrics make sense
)
More importantly Tim, why is mrgreen (
) a monkey on Crikey blogs? (it makes about as much sense as TYAAM lyrics)
It is the declarative tone of the song that conditions men to open up to its emotionality. That declarative tone puts the male ‘speaker’ in control of the situation, which has always been a big bloke turn on in any situation, not just a romantic one.
This is one male who does not like the song. It is partly the peculiar and dumb lyrics as outlined above but it is also the edge of self-pity, I’m-so-sorry-for-myself in the voice of the singer that is more than a little off-putting.
Tim,
Like the reels’ quasimodo dream it is easy to sing along with and hard to sing along with well. As most of the singers are going to get the lyrics wrong they feel less alone or embarrassed.
Also what is it about? Who knows? one listen and you know it is sung by Marc with absolute gusto and passion. Other versions haven’t always measured up.
Yeah, I think the control thing is probably true. And maybe I should put up a clip of H&C doing it too. That DAAS one is like watching the national anthem…
Hmm, can a girl comment? I should state upfront that I kinda like the song – it is rather anthemic in an Australian beer/bbq/blokey kind of way, it is almost like a romantic football club song. I don’t know how many people actually listen to/are conscious of song lyrics, even if they sing them! Can’t overestimate the power of the melody and plodding, insistent beat, to overcome lyrics. In any event, they do seem to be drunken one night stand lyrics – when all sorts of things are said…
I agree the lyrics are a bit silly, and I don’t know what four places/running along the street means – maybe you should get in touch with Mark and ask him what he meant? But then, like books, once out there, the singer loses control of meaning. It’s up to us. Assuming it’s not a song he wrote about the former girlfriend who was, sadly, subsequently before the courts for a little bit of close walking…
If you want a stalker song, check out Marc Cohn’s ‘True Companion’. It’s deceptive – seems like it could be an undying love love song, but has always sounded to me like the guy is going to stalk the girl beyond the grave!
A few things to note:
1. I agree with Dr Mickey’s first up analysis – good for late night pub / party / campfire etc..etc.. sing-a-longs.
2. Since I have actually done it myself – more often in exasperation than love, but that is another matter – I always liked the “shout it to the blue summer sky…” line.
3. Welcome back Tim, hope this works for you.
3. I have never understood Eddie Vedder’s – yes, that one – fascination with the song.
Just have a look at this clip of him with Mark Seymour(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkRNz0tR7tc&feature=related), or just look up Vedder and Throw your Arms in similar sites.
(Sorry Tim, don’t know how to do neat links in here.)
4. John Donovan, I never looked at The One I Love as a stalker song. I always took it that Stipe was taking the piss out of the banality of the lyrics of your bog standard Top 40 love song.
The switch from “A simple prop to occupy my time” to “Another prop has occupied my time” indicating the somewhat fleeting nature of “Love”, and thus the stupidity of the lyrics of all those bland ‘love’ songs promising eternal love etc… etc…?
Or maybe it was Stipe’s first ‘coming out’ song, taking the mick out of heterosexual mores?
Anyway, the fact that they wrote a great pop tune for it, and that it became their first major cross-over hit adds a certain irony to the whole story. How many people do you think mis-interpreted the meaning behind those lyrics?
Cheers All, and go The Wallabies.
Link to flop eared mule is broken but is – http://flopearedmule.net/2009/06/because-its-about-sex.html
I think the song’s appeal rests entirely in its ability to be sung while pissed and swaying, and holding on to your mate. I also believe I am the only person here who has attended a wedding where it was the bridal waltz.
‘sung while pissed’ – Exactly. I mean, how can we expect a tanked bogan to sing other than a simple tune in the simplest 2/4 time. (Question: How does a Diamondesque piece of crap in 2/4 time qualify as a 3/4 waltz?) 2/4 time is the lazy musicians’ best friend.
(Ah, now there’s a subject worthy of an exclusive blog). Anthem? My fellow Australians, do not ever admit to the ‘anthem’ sentiment re this pile of lazy crap.
This is (psuedo/slack) muzac, not quite worthy of elevator muzac status. Your honour, McDermott, the tosser extraordinaire, is able to bumble his way through this mess. I rest my case.
This is one song I never want to hear ever again. Regardless of whether it’s a good song or not, it’s been done to death!! Have never paid much attention to the lyrics (not a lyrics person) but I can’t even bear the tune anymore. It’s so schmaltzy!!!
Please login below to comment, OR simply register here :
Thank you for registering, we have just sent you a confirmation email, which includes your new password to be entered below.